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Sierra Down preview
Master Chief Petty Officer Sarah Gates looked down the scope of her rifle to see a massive deity-like elite, sporting what looked to be silver-laid ceremonial armor. This elite was her target. After a quick glance around the Covenant-laden Anchor, she could see that Covenant snipers were strategically placed at just about every vantage point, and Jackal commandos armed with Carbines and Plasma Repeaters practically littered the main floor of the floating space hangar with their elite leaders giving out orders among them. The target--Ozaki 'Ka Varadee--walked up to the dais and cleared his voice. Sarah clicked on her helmet-mounted universal translator; the presentation of the weapon was about to start. "Welcome, one and all," crackled her helmet's comm unit. Ozaki's pose stiffened, as he prepared his next barrage of well-thought-out speech. "We meet here for the unveiling of one of the most recent progressions of our holy arsenal, in the human's own space station!" At this the entire crowd cheered. Sarah noticed that there were many high-ranking grunts here as well, and a total of six golden-armored hunters were emerging from behind the platform Ozaki was standing on. "Our mission here was simple, but effective. We were to take over this station, and build a powerful weapon capable of defeating our enemies quickly and decisively, in spite of their honorable determination and perserverance." The audience quieted, listening to their leader intently. "Yes, the weapon took time to develop; and yes, it required the combined skills of the Huragok and our very own engineers, but we have overcome all obstacles and are prepared to reveal our true power!" The audience cheered so loud that Sarah had to suppress the volume emitter. "The humans are weak, their only strength being their unwillingness to be defeated. However, we have once before been able to counteract this, and we shall do so again!" The audience cried out again, attacking the air with another ear-piercing roar. "My subjects, I bring to you... the Lament of Fire!" The elite opened his fists to the sky, and the bay doors opened with a heavy woosh. Sarah watched the scene intently, being sure to keep an eye on the elite, and watched as the blast doors peeled back to reveal a giant, blue Covenant construct. Sarah snapped pictures from her helmet cam, encrypted each image, and immediately sent them to her nearby mothership, Unbreakable. Ozaki looked out into the flooding light as the Lament appeared, grinning as wide has his scarred face allowed; his hall of medals and awards for serving in the Covenant gave him enough reason for at least some small measure of pride, and perhaps joy. He beckoned the pair of Field Marshalls who flanked him, and together they walked onto the bridge made of old scrap metal - away from the protection of the bubble shield activated around the dais. He and his companions waited paitently at the end of the makeshift pier as his creation was pulled along with the primitive human claw-like structures. These mechanical arms had been operated by Kig-Yar, who knew their way around human techology - one of the many advantages of a race whos past was full of piracy. Ozaki found himself remembering the times when he was a child, simply playing with swords made of hardened tree sap, and then seeing how far he'd come in the Covenant since then, his career, and how it led to this monument in time - the uncovering of this genocidal weapon, the one that would cause the human's submission, the one that would make them pay for the death of his father, the deaths of his brothers... the death of his only son. Sarah kept a keen eye on Ozaki as he led his rear gaurd onto the massive piece of equipment. She knew she had a shot; but if she took it now, this operation would be over before it started. Her mission wasn't simply assassination; it was reconnaissance. If she killed him now, she'd lose the chance to learn about this weapon, not to mention that those snipers would be on top of her in seconds. So for now, she would keep quiet, and watch this event unfold. As the Sangheili deity took the lift up the machine, he let himself, for the moment, relax, and take in the glory of the machine he personally assisted in designing. "Sire, what do you believe the heirarchs will have to say about this? Particularly the modification of this human vessel?" Ozaki was taken aback momentarily at this comment, but quickly recovered. "I am unsure. The prophet's views are altered, I can see that; I am not as blind as I would have them see. However, remember this: in their eyes, I am the one and only inexpendable asset in this legion. They must follow me to a degree, or suffer the consequences. Worry not, my brother, for I will see to it personally that the entire compliment of our ship shall be under my protection. In my eyes, you are just as expendable as I." The Field Marshall nodded in thanks as the lift screeched its final unit up to a complete halt. At this, Ozaki made a mental note to have a conversation with the engineer about this... imperfection. As Ozaki and his flank stepped off the lift, their audience roared with the shouts and cries of anticipation and excitement. When he got to the peak of his new weapon, he raised his hands in salute to the watchers below. "Watch, as I demonstrate the power we now wield with this device! All of us who believe should cast our eyes to the human ship below and behold the latchkey to our Great Journey!" As he roared above the crowd's ruckus, the arm of the machine extended outwards, and then began to hinge forward away from the base. As the cannon released, the doors on the ground-level of the bay opened quickly, revealing what seemed to be open space. But soon, the hull of Sarah's ship, the Unbreakable, appeared, and the Spartan shuddered, realizing that she now had only one way out. The ship entered within firing range, and Ozaki, his face contorted into a prideful but serious grin, roared the command to fire. "Major Hayes!" Screamed one of the bridge crew of Unbreakable. "The station... it's venting atmosphere, and something's emerging from the lower hangar!" The Major looked down on the speaker, and ordered the command to prepare for slipspace... if the Covenant found them here, it would only bode unwell for his species, as the information he carried was more than worth the life of MCPO Sarah J. Gates, the only Spartan authorized under his control. But it was too late; the slipspace drive had engaged, but Ozaki's weapon was faster. It fired a focused bolt of pure energy that engulfed the entire frigate with molten blue flame. Not a particle was untouched by the bolt, and therefore not a single section of the ship went unincinerated. Unbreakable was reduced to less than a pile of darkened space dust. The beauty of Unbreakable's destruction touched everyone in the hangar. The god had shown his power, as he was meant to when he was given this assignment. "My subjects, our work here is done. My gift to you - the Lament of Fire!" As the shouts from those below grew louder by the unit, Ozaki and his comrades moved quickly back to their post. However, halfway along Ozaki was stopped by an Unggoy captain. "Excellency, the gaurds at first station won't respond to my calls!" The deity nodded to the Field Marshalls. "Take a squad and go." They acknowledged and went to do their master's bidding. Sarah had waited for this moment; she knew that the leader would call off his commanders to figure out what had happened to the gaurds she'd killed. This was her opportunity to end it all. Ozaki stepped forward, hesitated for too long; and Sarah's finger clicked the trigger of her rifle... Did you enjoy the story? Be sure to leave feedback in the TALK section, and tell me what you think. Wanna keep reading? Click here.